To determine the presence of water sources on the surface of the moon, the American space agency NASA has launched a new mission. It is emphasized that finding water would be crucial for future bases to be established on the moon.

The effectiveness of private companies in space exploration is steadily increasing. This time, companies are involved in moon exploration. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, carrying a satellite and spacecraft built by private companies, was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. The satellite launched to the moon was built for NASA by Lockheed Martin’s Space unit and will search for water on the dark side of the moon.

SEARCHING FOR WATER ON THE DARK SIDE It was previously estimated that the moon’s surface was dry. However, it is believed that there is a significant amount of water, especially in the part of the moon that does not see the sun and is always cold. The aim is to detect and map the water on the moon’s surface with a dishwasher-sized satellite called “Lunar Scout.” The satellite named “Lunar Scout” weighs 200 kilograms and is 3.5 meters wide.

NASA PAID $62 MILLION

Along with the Falcon 9 rocket, a spacecraft developed by a private company for the moon was also launched. The aim is to land the 4.7-meter vehicle named Athena on the moon’s surface on March 6. NASA will conduct research with this vehicle and paid the private company $62 million for it. A vehicle sent to the moon by a Texas company last year was not able to successfully land.

AIM TO ESTABLISH BASES ON THE MOON So far, besides the United States, only Russia, China, India, and Japan have been able to land spacecraft on the moon.

The goal is to establish bases on the moon in the future. Determining the presence of water on the moon’s surface is also crucial for this goal. In addition to being a drinking water source, the water on the moon is planned to be used in the production of oxygen and hydrogen fuel.